MUMBAI: UTV Motion Pictures has acquired the rights of Ashwin Sanghi’s national bestseller, Chanakya’s Chant. The fast-paced story based on politics in two radically different eras will now be adapted into a film by the studio.

The book narrates two parallel political tales, one in Chanakya’s puranic Bharat 2300 years ago and the other in post-independence contemporary India. While the ancient story is largely historical based upon Chanakya’s rise to power and the clever tactics applied by him towards installinsg Chandragupta Maurya on the throne, the modern story is mostly fictional and tells the tale of Kanpur’s Pandit Gangasagar Mishra who draws inspiration from Chanakya and employs his strategies in a modern context to get his protégée, Chandini Gupta, appointed to the highest office in India.

UTV Motion Pictures CEO Siddharth Roy Kapur said, "Chanakya’s Chant is one of those rare books with a storyline that has the potential to be translated into a superbly cinematic and immensely entertaining screenplay. The tale is about the underbelly of national politics which the book superbly exposes, where strategies developed by Chanakya 2300 years ago are still as valid in the modern day political scenario. While the film is currently in its scripting stage, we are in talks with top notch writers and directors to make this the next big political drama after Raajneeti.”

Averred Ashwin Sanghi, author of Chanakya’s Chant, “The response to the book has been phenomenal. UTV has a robust creative team capable of path reaking marketing campaigns and has a strong network in both domestic and international markets. UTV has always backed content that they believe in and I believe that it is the only studio that will do justice to the terrific story presented in this novel.”

Chanakya‘s Chant shot into the top-5 bestsellers of India within two weeks of its launch, proving that Chanakya’s neetis (policies) are as relevant today as they were in ancient times.